A walk down the memory lanes...

Well, so much for resolutions, and so much for strong will…. Right? Right?! WRONG!!! :P

[This was for all those who thought I would NOT actually stand by my word and go back on my resolution. You really thought it would be that easy, eh?!

And for all those who believed in me, there’s a pat waiting for your back [and a chocolate to top that :P] [wait, did I really use parenthesis IN a parenthesis?! [never mind]] ]

Anyway, getting to the point, how was Day 1?

First off, lemme tell you one thing first, I did not plan it, and I have not chalked out what I wanna do on each day.

Rather, I am gonna live the day out, with the thought at the back of my mind, and at the end of the day, I will reflect what exactly made the day worthwhile… This way, without the conscious *do good* attitude, I guess I will have a better chance at achieving realistic worthwhile moments..!

So day 1. Let’s see how that played out…

Well, to start with, it was a Lazy Saturday [Did I mention that such righteous experiments should NOT be started on Weekends?! BAD idea!!!] So I almost gave in to the thought of a chilled glass of Cold Coffee and a good book, with my faithful mp3 player plugged in.

But the thought of a long overdue task, and my best friends’ threat to kill me if I did not step out and look up something for her was a good enough impetus to step up and step out.

So I stepped out, and seeing the gorgeous weather Delhi has been experiencing in the last week, I decided against taking the metro. And being the miser I am, no auto-rickshaws either…

So no metro, no auto, but the rather ignored DTC buses.

And the icing on the cake? My destination :: the haloed sub-urbs of the colonial Delhi… Delhi 110001… [and whereabouts!]

To the uninitiated, I am talking about India Gate, Raisina Hill, Tolstoy Marg, Jantar Mantar, Janpath and at the end, Connaught Place…! [Bliss]

Again, this was not something I had planned to do, but boy was I happy I did!

I have been in Delhi for about 20 years now… and this city has made me who I am. The friends I have made, the experiences I have had, and the love this city has showered on me… well no other city can ever be as special to me as Delhi!

But on another note, even in these 20 years, I have never really explored the city much… Thanks to over protective parents and a less than luxurious pocket money.  So yes I have seen the clichéd destinations… the forts, the tombs, the temples, the parks and the over-hyped roads of Chandni Chowk, but not the off-beat destination like Hauz Khas and even Connaught Place and Janpath… These destinations have only showed up on my radar for the last couple of years, and that’s when the romance with Delhi really started…

So on the faithful Day 1, I took a bus on the Route 615 and here’s what followed…

As soon as I stepped on the bus, firstly, I was oh so impressed by the clean bus, polite staff and well-mannered co-passengers… Needless to say, probably I was lucky!

Got a window seat, and the sights I saw were honestly sights to behold!

En route, the first place of interest was the Safdarjung Airport. Ever since I got to know that this is where Sanjay Gandhi had his fatal accident in the 1980s, I have always found the place to be hauntingly empty. An Airfield that had served as the primary airfield for the British Empire during the World War II and was the primary airfield for Delhi till traffic was routed to Palam Airport in the 1960s, the vacant airfield, the unused air-strip and the unoccupied hangars talk of the majesty that the Airport once was, and the ruins it’s laid to now…

[FYI, the airport is now used as a landing strip for Political Dignitaries and was also used as a parking lot during the commonwealth games. *barf*]

Nonetheless, the Flyover over the air-strip gives a beautiful view of the Airport in its entirety, and I can almost picture a couple of small airplanes lining up for a take-off. With the sun playing hide-and-seek with the cloud yesterday, the sight was simply breath-taking and just gorgeous..!

[Cutting short the blog cuz this is getting way too long. Will continue tomorrow]

May I have the Menu again?

So you wake up, get your ass to office, slog said ass all day, have an uncomfortably long journey back home and retire for the day. This routine may be tempered with the occasional call from a distant friend, an unexpected visit by a relative, a Rs.100 note lost/ found on the road or a love-gone-awry situation with your beloved.

And in these 2-3 lines, I am pretty sure that I have described the daily routine of about 90 percent of the people who are gonna read this. (Except you student folks offcourse, in which case, just replace the slogging at office with slogging at college)

In other words, it feels like we are at this one big food court, with the promise of a sumptuous meal, and all we get is a plate of the same old khichdi.

Most days, you shovel it down your throat, convincing yourself that this khichdi is good. For your digestion, for your well-being and for the feeling of self-contention that we all so crave. After all, have we not seen our parents, respected relatives and not-so-respected neighbours do the same thing, day-in, day-out? And were you sleeping when your grandma was telling you that khichdi is God's answer to all your health problems?

But then, there are days when you feel that this daily dose of khichdi, albeit its health benefits, is constipating you. You need the occasional spicy, tangy, sweet or sour dish to rejuvenate your palette! Indeed, your mouth positively salivates at the thought of the sweetness of the mango fruit, the spicy tang of the red-chilli masala, the tantalizing aroma of the mango pickle and the rich creaminess of the pasta sauce!

And on days as these, you look up at the All-Mighty and ask Him, "why can't I have an occasional pass to THAT real food court?!"

(And now before you start to think that this is a food blog, lemme get to the point)

Most of the people I know, me included offcourse, are bogged down by that daily routine we call 'Life'. A daily routine that leaves you drained, mentally, physically and emotionally; with much to be desired.

With an over-active imagination, an under-utilized brain and a whole lotta time to reflect on mundane things as these, I can't help the feeling that somewhere along this path, I seem to have lost the plot, and the Maker, with more important things on his mind, has bumped me down on His to-do list.

At the end of one such day, you can't help but think, where is this life leading you? Is more money really gonna help you be happy? Is higher education the key to a better career? Are all those the efforts really worth it? Is this what you had signed up? Or are you a part of one big Lost herd of sheeps?!

And all that is followed up with a chocolate/sad songs/alcohol binge with the same thought in mind :: “What the heck am I doing with my life?!!”

So a resolution, even though this ain’t no New Year, and  with determination that is second only to my determination to succeed in Life [good one, right?!], I hereby declare that in the next two months, I plan to do atleast ONE thing everyday that makes my life worthwhile.

I am no Mother Teresa, so don’t expect ground-breaking Philanthrophy, but hey, I can still try right?!

And maybe, after these two months, I can look up at God and say,

“Hey, You there? I am being a good person down here, and I don’t mind the occasional  treats..! So, may I have a look at the Menu again?”